inclement weather procedures

Rockwood School District
Inclement Weather Closing Procedures for the Community Use of School Facilities
When the Rockwood School District experiences inclement weather conditions, safety is the most important consideration when
determining whether or not to close facilities for use by community groups.
Rain
Given Rockwood’s large geographic area, sometimes inclement weather can affect one part of the district while not affecting
another. Electronic weather stations positioned throughout the district enhance the ability to make accurate decisions about
weather conditions as they affect field/facility closings. As a result, we will close fields/facilities by zone as inclement weather
warrants. You will hear one of two messages when calling the field/facility status hotline (636-733-1170):
 Due to wet and unsafe field conditions, all fields/facilities are closed; or
 Due to wet and unsafe field conditions, fields/facilities in the following zones are closed…
Blue Zone (Fenton Area)
Bowles Elementary
Kellison Elementary
Stanton Elementary
Uthoff Valley Elementary
Rockwood South Middle
Rockwood Summit High
Rockwood Schools By Zone
Green Zone (Eureka Area)
Red Zone (North Area of District)
Blevins Elementary
Babler Elementary
Westridge Elementary
Eureka Elementary
Ballwin Elementary
Wild Horse Elementary
Geggie Elementary
Chesterfield Elementary
Woerther Elementary
LaSalle Springs Middle
Ellisville Elementary
Crestview Middle
Eureka High
Fairway Elementary
Rockwood Valley Middle
Green Pines Elementary
Selvidge Middle
Kehrs Mill Elementary
Wildwood Middle
Pond Elementary
Lafayette High
Ridge Meadows Elementary Marquette High
Snow
Procedures for WEEKDAY Usage (Monday – Friday)

If the district cancels the entire school day or dismisses school early due to inclement weather, all facility usage
activities will also be cancelled for that day.

If school is not cancelled or dismissed early but inclement winter weather is forecast for the evening, the Facility
Usage office will work with the Grounds Department to make the decision regarding closing the facilities. The decision
will be posted on the Facility Usage hotline (636-733-1170) no later than 2:30 p.m. on the weekday in question.

On weekdays when school is not scheduled to be in session, the decision regarding facility usage status will be posted on
the Facility Usage hotline (636-733-1170) and will be updated throughout the day beginning at 8 a.m.
Procedures for WEEKEND Usage (Saturday and Sunday)
When inclement weather is in the forecast for the weekend, the Facility Usage Office works with the district’s Grounds
Department to review the list of all scheduled activities for the weekend. While our goal is to be able to provide snow removal
for all activities, in some instances the decision may be made in advance to exclude snow removal for facilities where minimal
usage is scheduled.
If it is determined that the facility where your activity is scheduled will not be on the snow removal schedule, you will be
contacted by the Facility Usage office by noon on Friday to give you notice that your event may be cancelled if the inclement
weather materializes.
The facility usage status will be posted on the Facility Usage hotline (636-733-1170) no later than 7 a.m. on weekends.
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Turf Fields

Turf fields will typically not be closed due to inclement weather. However, turf fields may need to be closed due to ice
or snow if conditions entering the premises or on the field are deemed to be unsafe. The decision regarding status of
turf fields will be posted on the Facility Usage hotline (636-733-1170).

Lightning policy – Rockwood School District follows MSHSAA’s guidelines as it relates to lightning. Here is a
summary of the guidelines:
o
Anytime lightning is seen (cloud to ground) or thunder is heard, play should be suspended. Once play has
been suspended, wait at least 30 minutes after the last sound of thunder of lightning flash before resuming
play.
o
The Rockwood Facilities department will be notifying the custodians to make contact with a representative
from your team if severe weather is predicted to talk about taking shelter inside the school. Please note that if a
gym is needed to be utilized for shelter, we will ask players to remove their cleats to ensure there is no damage
to the gym floor.
o
The complete MSHSAA Lighting Safety Guidelines are attached to this email.
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Will I be assessed a facility usage fee or custodial charge if the district cancels my activity due to inclement weather?
No. If the district makes the decision to close facilities, you will not be charged.
What happens if the district does not close the facility where my activity is scheduled on a weekend but I choose to
cancel my event due to forecasted inclement winter weather?
In this case, the district may waive the facility usage fee if forecasted inclement winter weather caused you to cancel your event.
However, if enough advance notice is not given to allow us to notify the scheduled custodian, you will be charged the four-hour
minimum custodial fee.
I still have more questions. Who can I contact? Contact the Facility Usage office at [email protected] or
636-733-2167.
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